Pump



NOV. 21,1939. E. wHfr 2,180,378

PUMP

Filed Jan. 29, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORNEYS.

Nov. 21, 1939.

J. E. WHITFIELD PUMP Filed Jan. 29, 1938 s SheerLs-Sheet 2 Nov. 21,1939. J, E, WHITFIELD PUMP Filed Jan. 29, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 RimATTORNEYS."

Patented Nov. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT oFnce PUMIP Joseph E.Whitfield, Grove City, Pa.

Application January 29, 1938, Serial No. 187,691

' 7 Claims. (01. 103-425) Pumps have been made including a case androtor in the case and rotating gates operating with relation to therotor to draw in and discharge fluid as the rotor and gates rotate. Mostof such structures provide an inlet or discharge through the rotor. Thepresent invention is designed to avoid the objections incident to usingthe rotor as a passage for fluid, and provides a structure in which theports leading to the space swept by the rotor are entirely in the case,thus making a cheaper form of rotor, obviating the objections ofcarrying the port passages past the bearings and placing the ports at amore advantageous position for emcient operation.

In forming the pump the rotor is preferably provided with three drivingabutments operating through two gates, the gates being provided withopposing grooves for receiving and passing the abutment. The threeabutments operating through two gates gives a continuous dischargeabutment permits of a greater radial depth of chamber and consequentlyan apparatus of greater capacity with the same size of machine. Thus inthe present invention there is given a'continuity of movement of fluidwith a very great capacity for a given size of apparatus. While thestructure is particularly desirable as an air blower a variation of thedevice may be used for moving liquids. One of the desirable features ofthe inventionv is the structure which permits of unit assemblies of thevalve mechanism and the rotor in the case. This is desirable not only byway of servicing but in the ease of original assembly. Features anddetails of the invention will appear ,from the specification and claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings as follows:

Fig. 1 shows a central vertical section throug the rotor on the line 2-2in Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 is a similar section enlarged and with the parts partlyassembled.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 1.

of a rotor showing the valve closing surfaces and rotor abutment.

Fig. 6 a similar view but with a variation of abutment adapting thedevice to pumping liq- All figures except Figure 6 exemplify the in- 1 0vention as a blower.

Acase I has a compression or working chamber 2 with a peripheral'wall 3.This peripheral wall has the inlet ports 4, and 5 .and the dischargeports 6 and l. The case is provided with a base 16 la and contains theinlet and outlet from the blower. By varying the-porting or passages inthe base these may be shifted to satisfy whatever conditions may berequired. The base has the inlet chamber 8 with an inlet opening 9. The20 chamber 8has a passage H] which communicates with a passage II in thecase. The passages l0 chamber M which has the discharge opening [5. 30 IIt communicates with the passage !8. The passage l8 leads from the port6.. The passage [6 and the passage I! lead from the port I. The passageIt extends half way from front to rear, a partition dividing it from thepassage 10; The 35 passage ll extends --from front to rear in theportion adjacent to the port I. These passages l6 and 11 form a directconnection between the chamber It and the port I. l

A rotor I9 is arranged in the chamber 2 and 40 has abutments Illa whichform a closure with the peripheral surfaces 3a of the chamber. Theseabutments pass the-gates 20 which gates rotate in. gate chambers 2a inthe case, the gates being adjacent to the ports, in fact separating 45the inlet and outlet ports 5 and B, and 4 and I respectively. The gateshave the grooves 2| which are adapted to receive the abutments Mia andare rotated so. as to permit the passage of the abutments past the gate,the grooves and so" abutments continuing a closure of the abutment as itpasses through the gate.

Preferably the rotors are provided with three abutments as shown, andtwo grooves 2| are v preferably provided in the. gates. As heretoforeindicated, this provides a continuous inflow and outflow of fluid. Thereis a discharge from one or the other of the chambers at all times and anintake to one or the other chamber at all times. The grooves ofthe-gates are of a depth making the bottom walls of the groove closelyadjacent, consequently giving the greatest possible dimension to theabutments. It will be understood that the pitch line of the drivinggears (hereinafter described) corresponds to the rolling surfaces of therotor and the gates. By making the abutments of greater dimension, thedepth of the chambers is made greater, and consequenty the capacity ofthe apparatus is increased, it being understood that a full volume ofthe annular chamber is swept and discharged by each abutment with eachrotation of the rotor.

Each gate has an annular flange 22 at each end. As shown, one flange isformed in a detachable end 22a for convenience of machining, this beingsecured to the valve by screws 22b. The end of the valve has thecut-away portion 22c to receive projections 22d on the detachable end. Atrunnion 23 extends from the detachable end of the gate into a rollerbearing assembly 26 which is mounted in an opening 21 formed in aclosure plate 25. This assembly includes a seal ring 26a in which a seal26b is arranged. The opposite end of the gate has a trunnion 28 whichextends into a ball bearing assembly 29, the assembly including a ring29a having a seal 29b. This assembly is inserted into openings 30 in theside wall of the case I. A gear 3| is fixed on the trunnion 28 securedby a nut 28a and meshes with a gear 32. The gear 32 is fixed on a shaft33 on which the rotor is mounted. It is locked by pins 32a which extendthrough. the gear into a flange 33a. on the shaft 33. The shaft 33 ismounted at the closed end of the case in a ball bearing assembly 34. Theball bearing assembly is inserted into an opening 35 in the side wall lbof the case, The assembly includes a seal 34a in a seal ring 34b. Thering 34b abuts a removable ring 340 secured to the side wall of the caseand overlapping the ring 3417. The opposite end of the shaft extendsinto a roller bearing assembly 36 which assembly is carried by a ring-3611 which ring is inserted into an opening 31 in the closure plate 25.A seal 35b is also arranged in the opening and carries a seal 360, theseal ring being secured to the ring 36a. The gears 3| and 32 have a twoto three ratio so that the gates make three revolutions to two of therotor.

A cover plate 38 is provided over the. closing ring 25 and screws 38aextend through the cover plate and the ring 25 into the case. A coverplate 39 covers the gears and is secured to the case by screws 39a.Shields 40 are provided in the plate 39 encircling the gear 32. Thisassures the return of the lubricant thrown oifby the gears to the gearswhen the blower is running at high speed.

It will be noted that the rotor bores and the gate bores may be readilyfabricated and the case may be arranged to receive the bearings at oneend of the gates and the rotor. The gates with thebearings and the gearat one end may be completely assembled and the trunnions at the oppositeend will pass into the rollers at the left end of the gate cavity (seeFig. 2) so that this entire gate assembly may' be readily withdrawn andreplaced. In like manner the entire rotor with the abutments may bewithdrawn toward the left when the closure plate 25 is removed. Inreassembling the securing of the gear 82 to the Fig. 2 the rollerbearings at the left are shown as detached from the closure plate it isnot necessary to withdraw these rings from their openings when theclosure plate is removed in that the roller bearings will stay in placein their cages and receive the trunnions. Likewise the plate 340 whichis shown removed need not be removed from the case as the rotor iswithdrawn. The ball bearings at one end lock the rotor and gatesagainstend movement.

The flanges 22 on the gates make a closure at the ends of the gates morecertain." Where the device is arranged as a blower with the abutment andgate having the curve shown in Fig. 5 the closure surfaces of theabutment follow along the gate and provide plural closure linesthroughout portions of the movement. There is, however, a slighttrapping, or compressure of air in this movement which prevents the useof this more desirable closure for air being also used for liquid. Inorder to give the proper clearance for liquid the abutment has spaces 4|which give the proper clearance for the liquid.

It will be noted thatthe tips of adjacent abutments just span thedistance between two ports so as to give the greatest capacity. Thethree abutment structure readily lends itself as to this,

particularly with valves of proper size, the valve spaces equalling eachone half of this space be-- tween the abutments. The load is carriedentirely by the rotor so that there is no particular load on the gears,the gears simply timing the valves or gates. By placing the ports in theperipheral surfaces rather than through the gates, or through the rotor,large capacities can be given so that the heat may be readily dissipatedand the port losses may be very much reduced. By utilizing the threeabutments with two gates the largest capacity with few parts isattained. By arranging the trunnions directly on the ends of the gatesthe gate grooves may be carried very close together, thus permitting oflarge radial dimensions of abutments and, therefore, greater capacity,

This application is in part a continuation of my application, SerialNumber 130,040.

What I claim as new is:

1-. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of acase having a base; a rotor chamber with an outer cylindrical chamberwall; a rotor mounted in the chamber, the rotor being spaced from thewalls of the chamber forming an enclosed space; three driving abutmentson the rotor closing and sweeping the walls of the chamber; two rotatinggates across the space, one at the top and one at the bottom, said gatesby their rotation passing the abutments past the gates, the peripheralchamber walls being provided with a pair of ports for each gate, saidports accommodating the major portion of the fluid passing through theapparatus; an inlet and a discharge passage leading to and from theupper ports from the base along the outer peripheral of the cylindricalwall; the passages extending axially over the major portion of said walland a cross inlet and discharge passage connecting the inlet anddischarge ports at the bottom with the inlet and discharge passagesrespectively.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casecomprising rotor and gate bores; a rotor in the rotor bore spaced fromthe walls thereof, said rotor having a driving abutment sweeping andclosing the space; a bearing for the rotor; a gate in the gate borehaving a groove receiving and passing the abutment through the gate; abearing for the gate; means carrying the bearing for the rotor; andgears maintaining the timing of the rotor and gate, said rotor and itsbearing forming an assembly unit so related to the rotor bore as topermit the removal of the rotor and its bearing as a unit from the casewithout removal of the gate and its bearing.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casecomprising rotor and gate bores; a rotor in the 'rotor bore spaced fromthe walls thereof, said rotor having a driving abutment sweeping andclosing the space; a bearing for the rotor; a gate in the gate borehaving a groove receiving and passing the abutment through the gate; abearing for the gate; means carrying the bearings for the rotor; andgears maintaining the timing of the rotor and gate, said rotor and itsbearing forming an assembly unit so related to the rotor bore as topermit the assembly and'removal'of the rotor and its bearing as a unitfrom the case independently of the presence or absence of the gate andits bearing in the assembly. 7

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casecomprising a cylindrical rotor bore and a cylindrical gate bore; a rotorin the rotor bore spaced from the walls thereof, said rotor having adriving abutment sweeping and closing the space; a gate in the gate borehaving a groove receiving and passing the abutment through the gate; abearing for the gate; means carrying the bearing; gears maintaining thetiming of the rotor and gate, said gate, bearing and carrying meansforming an assembly unit so related to the gate bore as to permit theassembly of the gate, bearing for the gate and carrying means to beassembled as'a unit within the case; and a bearing for the rotor, saidrotor and its bearing being related to the case to permit the removal ofthe rotor and its bearing as a unit from the case, the two units beingindependently removable in any sequence.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casecomprising a rotor bore and a gate bore; a rotor in the rotor borespaced from the walls thereof, said rotor having a driving abutmentsweeping and closing the space; a gate in the gate bore having a groovereceiving and passing the abutment through the gate; a bearing for thegate; means carrying the bearing; gears maintaining the timing of therotor and gate, said gate, bearing, carrying means and gear forming anassembly unit so related to the.

gate bore as to permit the assembly of the gate, bearing for the gate,carrying means and gear to be assembled as a unit within the case; and abearing for the rotor, said rotor and its bearing being so related tothe case as to permit theassembly and removal of the rotor and itsbearing as a unit with respect tothe case, the two units being capableof independent removal and assembly in any sequence.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casehaving a rotor chamber with an outer cylindrical peripheral wallprovided with a plurality of pairs of inlet and outlet ports; a rotormounted in thechamber, the rotor being spaced from the cylindrical wallsof the chamber forming an enclosed space; a plurality of drivingabutments on the rotor closing and sweeping the walls of the chamber; aplurality of rotatingv gates across the space, said gates having opposedabutment passing grooves of a depth approximating the radii of thegates, said grooves being formed with relation to the abutments to passthe abutments throughthe gates and to make a substantial closurewith-the abutments during the pass, the number of abutments beinggreater than the number of gates but not a multiple thereof; and meansdriving the rotor and gates in timed relation, the inlet and outletports being adjacent to the sides of the gates, each gate defining oneside of an exhaust port and an inlet port, said ports extending throughthe major portion of the width of the chamber and the pairs of portsopening to the same space between gates being spaced apart a greaterdistance than the outer faces of the adjacent abutments, andsubstantially the entire flow of fluid through the device passingthrough said ports.

'7. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casehaving a rotorchamber with an outer cylindrical peripheral wall providedwith two pairs of inlet and outlet ports; a rotor mounted in thechamber, the rotor being spaced from the cylindrical walls of thechamber forming an enclosed space; three driving abutments on the rotorclosing and sweeping the walls of the chamber; two rotating gates acrossthe space, said gates having opposed abutment passing grooves of a depthapproximating the radii of the gates, said grooves being formedwithrelation to the abutments to pass the abutments through the gates and tomake a substantial closure with the abutments during the pass; and meansdriving the rotor'and gates in timed relation, the inlet and outletports being adjacent to the sides of the gates, each gate defining oneside of an exhaust portand an inlet port, said ports extending throughthe major portion of the width of the chamber and the pairs of portsopening to the same space between gates being spaced apart a greaterdistance than the outer faces of the adjacent abutments, andsubstantially the entire flow of fluid through the device passingthrough said ports.

